The pilot stated that as part of his preflight inspection of the airplane he visually verified each fuel tank was full, and the total usable fuel capacity was 221 gallons. After takeoff, the airplane climbed to the flight planned altitude of 8,000 ft mean sea level (msl), and proceeded towards the destination airport. When the flight was near the planned refueling location of the Rockwood Municipal Airport, Rockwood, Tennessee, the pilot verified that the airplane had an adequate supply of fuel to reach the intended destination. While in contact with HSV air traffic control tower, he requested to descend to 6,000 ft msl, and was subsequently cleared to descend to 4,000 ft msl. At that time, the pilot noted HSV was to his left about 10 miles away. Shortly thereafter, while at an altitude about 3,500 ft msl, warning lights on the annunciator panel, which included a fuel pressure light, illuminated. The pilot declared an emergency with the controller, and the engine experienced a total loss of engine power. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the controller vectored the pilot to Epps Airpark (00AL), a private airport located in Harvest, Alabama, but the pilot was unable to locate it.

On February 9, 2015 at 0615 eastern standard time, N30EA, a DH6 Twin Otter sustained substantial damage when it collided with N70EA, another DH6 Twin Otter, during engine start at the Sebastian Municipal Airport (X26), Sebastian, Florida. Neither the pilot on N30EA or N70EA were injured. Both airplanes were registered to and operated by Eagle Air Transport, Ottawa, Illinois. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the re-positioning flight that was destined for the Exuma International Airport (MYEF), George Town, Bahamas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the positioning flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

Both airplanes were parked right next to each other, wing-tip to wing-tip. N30AE was parked on the right side of N70AE. The pilot of N30AE stated that she had just started the engines. When she advanced the throttles (one at a time) to bring the generators on-line, the airplane began to move forward. She said she tried to apply the brakes, but they were not working and she was unable to move the tiller, which was positioned all the way to the left. The pilot was unable to stop the airplane and it collided with N70AE.

The pilot of N70AE said that had not started the engines yet when N30AE struck his airplane.

The pilot stated she had been conducting parachute drop operations through out the day. The pilot departed on the last parachute drop flight at an undetermined time, completed the parachute drop, and descended with power on. The pilot did not apply carburetor heat during the descent because the carburetor heat control cable was stuck, and would not move for the last two days.

The 568-hour commercial pilot was returning to a private airstrip for a night landing after releasing parachute jumpers. According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) the aircraft’s landing light was inoperative so in an attempt to identify the unlit grass runway, the pilot flew over the area several times to try to find the airstrip.

The airplane failed to gain altitude and settled into the ground during the takeoff initial climb. The firewall buckled during the ground contact. The pilot said that just after takeoff, the airspeed decreased to 60 knots and the airplane was 300 feet above ground level. He was unable to recover the airspeed and he touched down in a field.

The airline transport certificated pilot with 10 skydiving passengers began a takeoff in a tailwheel-equipped and turboprop powered airplane on a CFR Part 91 skydiving flight. As the airplane started its climb, the pitch angle of the nose of the airplane increased until the airplane appeared to stall about 50 to 100 feet agl. It descended and impacted the runway in a left wing, nose low attitude.

The airplane departed about 1130, and the outside air temperature at 1145 was 39 degrees F. The outside air temperature at 0747 was 28 degrees F. The pilot did not preheat the engine, and had difficulty starting it. On the third attempt, the engine started. The pilot then taxied to the runway, performed a rolling run-up, and departed.

The pilot did not perform weight and balance calculations for the accident flight; though, postaccident calculations indicated that the airplane was under gross weight and the center of gravity was within limits. The pilot reported that he did not have any memory of the accident flight. The accident flight was the second flight of the day for the pilot and began immediately after landing from the previous skydive drop flight.

The airplane initiated a forced landing after a partial loss of engine power during the takeoff initial climb. During the initial run-up the magneto check was not within acceptable limits; however, approximately 15 minutes later the pilot rechecked the magnetos and they were within acceptable limits. The pilot said he configured and checked the airplane prior to takeoff with 10 degrees of flaps and all gages “in the green.”

The pilot and 21 jumpers were aboard the airplane for the local skydiving flight. The airplane took off to the north on the wet grass runway. Jumpers reported that during the initial takeoff climb, the aircraft assumed a “very steep angle of attack,” and described the pilot “winding the wheel on the lower right side of the chair clockwise, frantically,” and “busy with a wheel between the seats.”

The airplane quickly became airborne and started an extremely steep climb for several hundred feet, which was followed by an equally steep descent until the airplane collided with terrain. The airplane had just completed one jump flight, and a different pilot fueled the airplane in preparation for the accident flight. The airplane was configured with one seat on the left side for the pilot and a 2-inch pad with seat belts for up to four skydivers.

The parachute jump flight’s airplane was at 3,700 feet MSL when the pilot cancelled the operation with the FAA approach controller without explanation. Witnesses observed the airplane trailing white and black smoke. One witness said he saw the airplane trailing black smoke with its engine making a banging sound. Three witnesses at the accident airport said the airplane had smoke and flames coming from the airplane’s cowl and along the windshield as it approached the airport.

After three uneventful parachute drop flights with three or four jumpers each, the pilot landed and picked up two jumpers. During the next takeoff roll, the pilot aborted the takeoff and was unable to stop the airplane before it struck a fence at the end of the 2,200 foot asphalt runway. The pilot stated ‘everything was normal, except the plane didn’t lift off.’

The pilot was taking off with 10 jumpers onboard. At the rotation speed of 100 knots, he used elevator trim to rotate the airplane, but it did not lift off the runway. He continued moving the trim wheel violently to pitch the nose up, and attempted to pull back on the yoke, but the airplane collided with rising terrain off the end of the runway.

The recently employed pilot-in-command (PIC) had been given a 1-hour orientation flight by another pilot the morning of the accident. The airplane used was equipped with only one seat, and the PIC flew the airplane while the pilot who gave the orientation sat on the floor.

The pilot took off with four skydivers on board the airplane, and climbed to 10,000 feet. After the skydivers exited the airplane, the pilot returned to land at the departure airport. The pilot stated that after landing, the airplane impacted parked road grading equipment. He reported that it was a dark night and winds were calm when the accident occurred.

The pilot carried four parachute jumpers aloft; one left the aircraft at 4,500 feet and the last three left at 12,000 feet. After all the jumpers had exited, the pilot decided to do a power off stall. He stated that he was ‘curious about the gliding abilities of the 182’ and pulled the mixture control to idle cutoff when the aircraft was over the airport at 11,500 feet.

The airplane was loaded with 10 sport parachutists and one pilot. Later, investigators calculated that the maximum gross weight was exceeded by 149.6 pounds, and the center of gravity was 2.87 inches aft of the aft limit. The cabin door had been removed for parachuting operations; however, an altered Flight Manual Supplement had been used as authority for the door removal.

The pilot reported that after the airplane reached an altitude of 10,500 feet msl, the skydivers exited the airplane. The pilot stated that he then began a wings-level, high-rate descent to stay clear of the drop zone. The mixture was at full rich and the carburetor heat was applied as he maintained 150 to 160 knots indicated airspeed.